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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780345432254
ISBN number: 0345432258
Label: Del Rey
Manufacturer: Del Rey
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 406
Printing Date: October 03, 2000
Publishing house: Del Rey
Release Date: October 03, 2000
Sale Popularity Level: 143457
Studio: Del Rey
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Product Description:
The ruined city of Kuan Hador reeks of dark mystery. Shunned by brigands and merchants alike, it is home to fearsome wild things and legends that freeze the blood--tales that speak of slavering white beasts, locked behind a powerful wall of spells, who possess an insatiable appetite for death. Millennia have passed since they were bound, and the spell of imprisonment has begun to fade. Soon the foul minions will be free to wreak a horrible vengeance against all that lives.
But no army waits to oppose them, only a ragtag group of unlikely heroes. Leading them is the mysterious Gray Man, an enigmatic figure with a blood-drenched past who has killed for principle and for payment--a man of destiny known throughout the lands of the Drenai as Waylander the Slayer . . .
Amazon.com Review:
In Hero in the Shadows, Waylander, the assassin hero of some of Gemmell's earlier books, is now a middle-aged man looking for peace in a world that will, for the most part, let him alone. The crimes of his past come back to haunt him, as he finds himself responsible for a young prince whose grandfather he murdered, and as creatures of doomed legend come back to rule the world with blood and horror. An aging paladin, a loud-mouthed braggart whom a magic sword has chosen, and a kitchen girl who is unusually handy with her knives become his allies, along with a priestess who is not telling all she knows, or all she is.
Gemmell is one of the best writers of fantasy adventure--this new book is attractively gloomy in its atmosphere and has a pervading sense of the ironic. The action sequences are powerful and well visualized; Gemmell always knows how a particular sort of fight would feel. And there are no simple morals here--most of the characters, heroic or villainous, exist in the gray hinterland between dark and light, where evil acts are often performed in sorrow and good actions often have mixed motives behind them. --Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk
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Rated by buyers 
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Waylander is getting on the elderly side, and is a retiring businessman known as Daykeyras or the Grey Man. He has some wealth and influence, and a large household.
Action calls when he rescues a young woman, whom he takes into his household, and ends up training to be a warrior.
When the joining priestess Ustarte seeks his help, he is drawn into a final battle against dark sorcery to prevent a cataclysm.
Rated by buyers 
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Being an absolute fantasy-fan, I have read a lot of fantasy-books from different authors such as R.Jordan (wheel of time),G.R.R. Martin (song of ice and fire),R.Feist,T. Goodkind, etc.
For me personally there is no-one better then D. Gemmell, he has ( well he had, since he died a few weeks ago) an incredible gift to create characters,which you want to identify yourself with, which never are just "bad guys" or "good guys", but show a complexicity, which makes them very believable.
The best books are ,for me personally, the 3 volumes of Waylander, this one being the best of them.
Also excellent are the latest books of Troy.
Really a shame , that Gemmell had to die so young, my condolences to his family!
Rated by buyers -
Hero in the Shadow is the subsequent book in the Drenai Saga, I believe it is book 9 in the series. For people who have little to no idea who David Gemmell is, you are in for a treat as you embark on this incredible journey through his plethora of novels. The very first book in this saga is simply titled Legend (Drenai Tales, Book 1). It's a great read and one that starts a grand adventure. If you have not read Waylander (Drenai Tales, Book 4) and In the Realm of the Wolf (Drenai Tales, Book 5) by Gemmell you really need to at least read those two before reading this one. It will add much more depth to the main character and the demons he carries with him.
This novel actually has many plot layers to it. The main plot involves attempting to stop an invasion by demons in the land. This takes on many interesting turns and provides a brief history lesson to some things that have been mentioned in earlier books. Some of the sub-plots involve very emotional pieces such as Waylander's personal demons, Chardyn doubting his belief in the Source, Ustarte wanting to prevent deeds from happening, and a few more I won't mention due to being possibly spoilers. I think it is safe to say that no matter what type of fantasy books you enjoy there will be something in this novel for everyone. There are large scale battles, there are political underpinnings, there is the human element of striving for goals, there is revenge and retribution, but most importantly the story itself is well written and highly entertaining.
Mr. Gemmell has a knack for writing very engaging characters. Every character seems to be the most important character in the novel when they are on the page. Main characters such as Waylander and Eldicar all the way to minor characters such as Matze Chai and Lalitia. Gemmell imbues each of these characters with very real elements that allow the reader to love or hate them at the reader's discretion. Also, the character development in this novel is second to none. From where Walyander starts in the novel to where he ends up is simply fantastic. The journey the priest Chardyn undertakes in his search for believing in the Source is very good as well. Rarely in fantasy books is an author able to capture both great characters and a great plot. Mr. Gemmell has done just that in this novel.
When picking up a Gemmell book it is much like putting on a pair of old shoes, it's comfortable and you know just what to expect. While Mr. Gemmell may not write epic plots like G.R.R. Martin his novels are certainly worth while. His prose allows for an ease of reading. He doesn't use the flowery language one can expect from, say Tolkien. His books are much like he was in life, to the point and honest. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre and have not yet read a Gemmell book you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice. Take a chance and pick up Legend yesterday and maybe you will continue on in this saga as I have. I will surely recommend these books to many fantasy fans.
Rated by buyers -
I've just finished listening to the audio version and it's just as good as when I read the book. Gemmell's world and characters feel real, as if you look hard enough there are history scrolls that will verify the existence of Drenai. Hero in the Shadows gives us the final chapter of Waylander, a hero who's past includes assassinating a good king for money to finance his personal revenge of the men who murdered his wife and children. How more complex of character can you get then that?
On one level the story is about Waylander, having taken on a new name, tries to live the life of a wealthy merchant. He builds a utopia in his huge palace for learning and culture. Beginning with the opening rescue, followed by the pending invasion of an evil race expelled from the world 3K years before, violence finds Waylander and drags him back into what he does very well: Dealing death. Magic, demons, religion, good citizens, and men with frozen hearts builds the story to its final climax. As with all Gemmell stories expect that evil men may commit acts of great horror and generous sacrifice, heroes come up short or suffer terrible losses, and common people step up to be heroic.
If this is your very first Waylander book, STOP, very first read "Waylander" followed by "In the Realm of the Wolf." Hero in the Shadows is the final in the Waylander trilogy. Although you could read this and get a full story, but much historical context and texture will be lost. Reading this Gemmell story, you won't be disappointed. Unless you're like me and have read all his work then you have only to reread these great works. Of course, Gemmell would want it that way!
Rated by buyers -
as an avid fantasy reader, i have to admit that i read my books quietly, mostly cracking a smile at a good twist of a plot. Enter mr gemmell and i catch myself -several times- cheering aloud while reading. i only surrender his book(s) under
heavy eyelid pressure, very late at night.
let's talk about the actual book; while Tolkien puts immense talent into the creation of unforgettable places like Valinor, the pits of Thangorodrim or the mines of Moria,Gemmell puts the same immense output, to create unforgettable characters, like
Dakeyras (waylander) and Eldicar Manushan. This goes for all of Gemmell's other books, spanning haunting characters like the macedonian stratego Parmenion, the swordsman Skilgannon or the rigante giant Jaim Grymauch. The well never dries. every book comes with its array of awesomely described characters that it's agony to see some of them killed and i can promise you the loud cheering whenever they narrowly escape their predicament.
what's even better is the uniform way in which gemmell treats his characters:the bad ones get the same depth of personality as the good ones, you end up uncertain where lies your preferences in the middle of the book. so you'll decide
to go beyond both sides (like nietzsche would want us to), admiring them both for their boldness, courage, decisions and blunders.
the awesome reality and vividness of the characters is solidly encased into a context of magical realism where the characters can travel through astral planes and parallel worlds and encounter ancient magics that could help or destroy. you'll never know.
when the story will physically end and you close the book, you can be sure your mind will keep swarming for months -and possibly for good- with the names and deeds of great individuals with whom you shared an intense experience of life, thanks to that wizard of an author, david gemmell.
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